ABBATOIR
Featuring Kaeja d' Dance. To Mar 29. Thu-Sat 8pm. $10-$30. Harbourfront Centre, 207 Queens Quay W, Premiere Dance Theatre. 416-973-4000. www.kaeja.org.
It would be foolish, I suppose, to think that there could be a performance piece about a slaughterhouse that would not involve dancers' depictions of animals. It is, as well, probably impossible to have a group of performers portraying a herd of cattle without a good deal of awkwardness. One might consider Kaeja d’Dance's Abattoir unfeasible as a project on these grounds alone but, surprisingly, its triumphs outweighed its missteps.
While the troupe's cow sequence fell flat, the sprightly, spring-limbed lamb dance performed by Kaeja veteran Susan Lee and the wonderful new company member, Ryan Lee, was much more enjoyable to watch.
Composer Edgardo Moreno created a spare, pulsing soundtrack of inorganic sounds that punctuate the wordless singing of Fides Kruker and the dancers. Four ambient microphones hang above the stage: they capture floor slaps and claps, the squeaking of shoes, and the panting, lowing and grunting of the "beasts," along with the transcendental vocals.
Another essential element is the text written by Jason Sherman. Its teenaged protagonist, played with an appealing mix of sensitivity and passion by Aaron Willis, is coming of age while working in his father's abattoir. He speaks of "the beauty of carved flesh" and describes "flesh against gleaming metal," becoming comfortable with the power to kill and learning some of the secrets of death. Faced with a slew of lambs to kill, however, he is tormented.
While not everything works here, there are many lovely, emotionally charged moments to enjoy. Sometimes raw in its animalism and sometimes terribly human, the worldly Abattoir is worth a visit.